By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Donald E. Black

WARSAW — A Syracuse man will serve a three-year sentence locally after driving under the influence and getting into a vehicle accident, resulting in injury to a woman.

Donald E. Black, 52, 710 W. Brooklyn St., Syracuse, was charged with causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle with an ACE of .08 or more, a level 5 felony.

Black was sentenced in Kosciusko Superior Court Three on Tuesday, Aug. 16.

At 1:40 a.m. Feb. 14, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a report of a vehicle accident involving serious injury on CR 500E, north of CR 1000N near Syracuse. Upon arrival at the scene, the deputy saw a red 2007 Ford F150 that left the roadway and hit a tree.

The deputy spoke with Black, who said he was traveling north when a deer entered the roadway. According to court documents, Black said he swerved to miss the deer, causing his vehicle to leave the road and hit a tree.

While speaking with Black, the deputy could smell alcohol on Black’s breath; he also noticed Black’s speech was slurred. Black admitted to consuming between five and 10 beers and consented to several field sobriety tests.

Black failed one test and declined to participate in any others. A portable breath test registered .20 BrAC.

As a result of the accident, a woman was entrapped in the vehicle’s front passenger seat. She was later taken to a Fort Wayne hospital for treatment. The woman sustained multiple fractured ribs and a facial laceration.

During court proceedings, Defense Attorney Kristina Lynn said Black has accepted responsibility for his actions and recognizes his substance abuse issues. She noted that Black has two prior misdemeanors for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, with the last incident occurring 19 years ago.

Lynn requested Black be allowed to serve any executed time through a community corrections program. Black was approved for participation in Michiana Community Corrections and was conditionally approved for Kosciusko County Community Corrections.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Sobek said the level of injury to Black’s passenger, as well as the amount of alcohol in Black’s body at the time of the accident, warranted more to Black’s sentence than just community corrections.

For causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle with an ACE of .08 or more, Kosciusko Superior Court Three Judge Chad Miner gave Black a three-year sentence. One and one half years of the sentence will be executed, with one month of that in the Kosciusko County Jail and 17 months through Michiana Community Corrections. The remaining time was suspended on probation.

Black’s driver’s license was also suspended for six years.

In total, Black will serve one month in KCJ, one year and five months in Michiana Community Corrections, and 1 1/2 years on probation.

Black must report to the Kosciusko County Jail on Sept. 17 to serve his one-month KCJ sentence.